NSF honors two Rowan ExEEd graduate students

Rowan University Experiential Engineering Education (ExEEd) doctoral student Alexandra Jackson has been honored by The National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of its Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Jackson is one of two recipients from Rowan and one of only seven awardees in the STEM Education and Learning Research – Engineering Education field of study. In addition, Darby Riley, also a doctoral student in ExEEd, was one of three Honorable Mentions from Rowan and one of two Honorable Mentions in the STEM Education and Learning Research – Engineering Education field of study.

The NSF GRFP is provided to exceptional graduate students studying within STEM disciplines supported by NSF that are planning to or are currently pursuing research in a MS or Ph.D. program within the US.  The award provides three years of financial support including a $34,000 annual stipend and yearly tuition reimbursement up to $12,000.  The fellowship specifically selects individuals that the review committee believes have a high potential for success in academic and professional careers.

Jackson graduated from Rowan with a BS in Electrical & Computer Engineering in 2021. She is pursuing her MS in Biomedical Engineering, and her Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Engineering Education. Although Jackson is only nearing the end of her first year of doctoral studies, she has served as first author on three peer reviewed journal publications and two American Society for Engineering Education conference publications. 

Dr. Cheryl Bodnar, Jackson’s doctoral advisor, describes her as, “an amazing student that shows a strong drive to succeed and puts full effort into everything that she tackles. Jackson is a leader within her research collaborations and has an innate curiosity that she brings to every project she works on. There is no limit to what she will be able to accomplish in her professional career.”

Riley received her BS in Mechanical Engineering at Rowan in 2020. She is currently pursuing an MS in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Engineering Education.

Dr. Kaitlin Mallouk, Riley’s doctoral advisor, describes her as, “an intrinsically-motivated, creative thinker who has found a passion for engineering education. She intends to use the knowledge and skills she’s developing during her graduate program to improve access to the field of engineering for students with disabilities, a pursuit that will impact many.”

The ExEED faculty are extremely proud of how Jackson and Riley have taken their strong backgrounds in engineering and problem solving and applied them to engineering education.